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Ennui - QROBA
AVAILABLE NOW via MEUSE MUSIC RECORDS - Coming from Tbilisi, Georgia, on the banks of the Kura River, ENNUI have steadily built a reputation as masters of funeral doom. With already four records to their name, the band now returns with "Qroba", putting an end to nearly eight years' wait, since their last release, "End of the Circle". Only guitarist, bassist, and vocalist David Unsaved and guitarist Serge Shengelia remain from the original lineup, yet the current ensemble impresses with its depth: up to four guitars weave a dense, layered sound, creating the massive, immersive textures that define ENNUIS's signature funeral doom.
From the very first note, 'Antinatalism' establishes ENNUI's command of atmosphere and depth. The guitars are slowly coming in, heavy and deliberate, pressing down on the lucky listener with an incredible weight. The track opens with pretty clear guitar chords, offering a moment of melodic clarity alongside the slow, measured pacing typical of Funeral Doom. As the track works its way forward, restrained yet punishing riffs intertwine with steady, deliberate drumming. Rising from those depths, guttural growls add a dark, menacing and vicious edge, cementing the track’s oppressive and immersive tone while setting the stage for the rest of the album. Another interesting fact about the album is the meaning of the name, "Qroba" means something along the lines of "disappearance". Not a violent or abrupt end, but a gradual, almost solemn fading-the kind where colors lose their intensity, drain into shades of grey, and eventually dissolve into silence, it works perfectly with the music on this release. With 'Becoming Void', ENNUI turns emptiness into sound. Gentle keyboard layers sit beneath sustained guitar chords, building a wide, almost floating atmosphere. But the calm doesn’t last long. Heavy walls of distorted guitars and deep growls soon take over, shifting the mood almost dramatically. The song doesn’t just sound heavy and crushing-no,it feels overwhelming. The riffs don’t simply ring out; they carry real weight and create a dense, pressing intensity. As said before, the riffs carry a massive weight-they hang heavily in the air. Still, even within this density, moments of contrast peak trough. Out of the heaviness, gentle guitar melodies suddenly emerge: delicate, melancholic, and restrained, expressing sadness not through drama but through quiet acceptance. It’s in these shifts that ENNUI show how well they can combine sheer scale with subtle detail.
With 'Decima', the band delivers one of the album’s most emotionally resonant moments. Fragile, almost delicate melodies intertwine with massive, crushing layers of sound, showcasing ENNUI's talent for embedding subtle detail within a profoundly heavy framework. The title itself refers to Roman mythology-'Decima' being the counterpart to the Greek Lachesis, one of the three Moirai, the Fates who determine the thread of human life. And indeed, the music itself carries a sense of inevitability, as if fate itself were slowly unfolding. This is what it sounds like when destiny closes in-not with sudden violence, but with solemn certainty. A defining feature of the Song is the use of the traditional Georgian three-string instrument, the "Panduri". Its tone cuts through the density like cold mountain air, expanding the atmosphere and adding a distinct regional character. This element never feels folkloristic or ornamental. Instead, it shows as something authentic-a cultural echo of melancholy if you will. 'Decima' lifts the album’s crushing darkness, transporting minds to Georgia’s stark, wind-swept landscapes. Amid stone, mist, and silence, the crushing doom is balanced by moments of fragile beauty, making the track one of "Qroba’s" most powerful and memorable pieces. The album shifts into a more expansive, almost celestial atmosphere with 'Down to the Stars'. Gentle synth lines open the track, soon joined by somber, weighty riffs that evoke a cold, infinite void. ENNUI uses the song’s extended runtime to build tension and atmosphere, guiding us through its vast soundscape without falling into repetition. Ending the album, Mokvda Mze brings together all of Qroba’s defining traits: crushing, deliberate riffs, deep, resonant growls, and melodic lines that gradually emerge from the dense soundscape. Some might think the track evokes the beauty of disappearance-whether truly "beautiful" or not, it carries a majestic weight. The song slowly collapses into silence, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of melancholy and awe.
Heavy, slow, and relentlessly melancholic, "Qroba" is a quintessential funeral death/doom album. Its brooding melodies and harsh, bitter growls create a soundscape that perfectly matches a gloomy winter mood-though it can be appreciated at any time of year. For fans of the genre, it offers an immersive experience, and for anyone interested, the album provides a cathartic outlet: a chance to unleash frustration and emerge with a renewed sense of energy.
SCORE 9/10
REVIEWED BY SWAMPY